• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Question about feeding backyard birds (1 Viewer)

ElCucuy

Well-known member
I cut up some tilapia and threw it out to the wild birds and it seems like they are not touching it. its been a few hours and theres flies on it. it was fresh fish


they are still eating the small crumbs of bird seed at the bottom. i thought they would gobble the fish up



also, i have a bunch of salted shelled roasted peanuts.. if i de shell them and boil them or rinse them , can i feed it to the backyard birds ? what would you recommend? i have plenty bird seed i just like feeding them miscellaneous stuff
 
I'm no sure whether this post is for real or intended as a joke but I'll try to answer it in a serious way. Most garden birds are seed eaters, fruit eaters or insect eaters. Many of them do like suet which is an animal product. Some will go for mealworms. Those are the exceptions. Throwing things like fish out for the birds will not attract anything except rats and, if there are big enough pieces, vultures. Crows or ravens would probably eat the fish. Most other birds are not omnivores but specialists.
Salted peanuts are a big no for birds. I doubt if you could rinse the salt off sufficiently to make the peanuts safe. If you want to feed peanuts buy unsalted ones, either shelled or pieces will do.
My suggestion would be to focus on the needs of the birds and not on pushing the envelope by attempting to feed inappropriate things.
 
. . .Salted peanuts are a big no for birds. I doubt if you could rinse the salt off sufficiently to make the peanuts safe. . ..

I’m curious about your rationale for this statement. Could you point me to whatever literature you’ve read on the subject?
 
Last edited:
I'm no sure whether this post is for real or intended as a joke but I'll try to answer it in a serious way. Most garden birds are seed eaters, fruit eaters or insect eaters. Many of them do like suet which is an animal product. Some will go for mealworms. Those are the exceptions. Throwing things like fish out for the birds will not attract anything except rats and, if there are big enough pieces, vultures. Crows or ravens would probably eat the fish. Most other birds are not omnivores but specialists.
Salted peanuts are a big no for birds. I doubt if you could rinse the salt off sufficiently to make the peanuts safe. If you want to feed peanuts buy unsalted ones, either shelled or pieces will do.
My suggestion would be to focus on the needs of the birds and not on pushing the envelope by attempting to feed inappropriate things.


i was serious. but yeah you definitely dead wrong on that one. not long after i posted i noticed the smaller birds were chomping down on the fish and then the medium-large birds and bluejays came and finished it off. i think if i threw some salmon it would be a better result.


im doin nothin inappropriate but i will take your advice on the salted peanuts and not feed them that. ive seen it done many times but i do not want to hurt these birds if that would

I will still feed them misc things like unsalted cashews and all sorts of nuts and berries or wholesom scraps
 
i often see my backyard birds eating all sorts of stuff especially white bread others put out and often dried cat food. they may eat all kinds of scraps especially when under feeding pressure or raising a brood.
however snowyowl is correct, some foods are dangerous or unhealthy especially for chicks and birds also can get toxic or viral problems from food left out.

it really is best to stick to well known healthy foods with maybe some fruit added in as a treat after a good search of the bird organisation websites. you did the right thing asking, but your response to snowyowl is a bit crude. you asked a question, he disagrees and explained that. forum responses can be misinterpreted though.

obviously some birds eat fish, they dive in the sea after it, but that does not mean it is healthy for them when digestion and gut bacteria is used to seeds and insects. i just ate a huge bar of choc because i am a pig at times. doesnt mean it was good for me or nutritious and it would be very bad for birds!
 
i often see my backyard birds eating all sorts of stuff especially white bread others put out and often dried cat food. they may eat all kinds of scraps especially when under feeding pressure or raising a brood.
however snowyowl is correct, some foods are dangerous or unhealthy especially for chicks and birds also can get toxic or viral problems from food left out.

it really is best to stick to well known healthy foods with maybe some fruit added in as a treat after a good search of the bird organisation websites. you did the right thing asking, but your response to snowyowl is a bit crude. you asked a question, he disagrees and explained that. forum responses can be misinterpreted though.

obviously some birds eat fish, they dive in the sea after it, but that does not mean it is healthy for them when digestion and gut bacteria is used to seeds and insects. i just ate a huge bar of choc because i am a pig at times. doesnt mean it was good for me or nutritious and it would be very bad for birds!


He perceived my question and asking for help as a joke and said I'm feeding inappropriately .. also claimed fish won't attract anything but Rats basically. Me saying he was 100% wrong is not crude, it's fact. I'm allowed to disagree with him too , u know. You must be bitter or looking for an argument

Also, I spit out my drink laughing at you comparing you eating a chocolate bar to a bird eating some fresh fish. Hahahaha.

But yeah I will continue nourishing these birds they are amazing animals and it's satisfying forreal :t:
 
I have no problem with any of the replies. To me feeding fish to garden birds seems very bizarre. Salted peanuts have always been a no, no for birds but can I give a reference off the top of my head, no, I can't but I will get back to you.
 
Here is a reference on the subject.
https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100113075021AAoXRsI
Here is a quote from Cornell University Ornithology Lab pages.
>Peanuts are the seed of the Arachis hypogaea plant and actually grow underground. They are not true nuts but are actually legumes--and many birds love them! You can offer peanuts shelled or in the shell. Larger birds like jays may grab several peanuts at a time and fly off to hide them for later consumption. Smaller birds like chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice will have more success feeding on shelled peanuts. You can offer raw or roasted peanuts, but avoid salted peanuts or peanuts that have been roasted with any coatings or flavorings. <
 
Last edited:
I figured you were right on the salted peanuts thing I thought it couldn't be healthy for them, just wanted to ask

But it may be 'very bizzare' or 'innapropriate' for you emotionally but not factually (regarding feeding fish/meat to backyard birds)

Anyway.. if anyone else is reading this I've had 0 rat problems. Him saying they will only attract rats and vultures is 100% false in my experience.

I've seen Jay's, wrens, chickadees, finches, woodpeckers, grackles, and others eat the meat.

Also from what I read certain meat scraps like that are perfectly ok for them and can be healthy along with other foods and do no harm. I do it every now and then. it's mainly fruit nuts seed corn, blue Buffalo cat food. . They love it. And keep coming back for more !
 
Last edited:
Here is a reference on the subject.
https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100113075021AAoXRsI
Here is a quote from Cornell University Ornithology Lab pages.
>Peanuts are the seed of the Arachis hypogaea plant and actually grow underground. They are not true nuts but are actually legumes--and many birds love them! You can offer peanuts shelled or in the shell. Larger birds like jays may grab several peanuts at a time and fly off to hide them for later consumption. Smaller birds like chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice will have more success feeding on shelled peanuts. You can offer raw or roasted peanuts, but avoid salted peanuts or peanuts that have been roasted with any coatings or flavorings. <

Since my last post I’ve poked around the internet a bit on the “salted peanuts are bad for birds” question. So far all I’ve found in support of the contention are bald statements, sometimes quite strongly worded, unaccompanied by any reference to the scientific literature (or, for that matter, any references at all!). Makes me wonder if we aren’t in “(sub)urban myth” territory here, at least as far as wild birds are concerned (The case might be different with cage birds which have less control over their diets than their wild counterparts.).
 
Last edited:
Cornell U. Ornithology Lab is one the most highly respected sources in the world for bird info. If they include a statement like that in their guidelines then that is good enough for me.
 
I have searched for studies on the subject but can't find any. I'm sure they are out there somewhere and it is my research skill that is what's lacking. Until someone, perhaps one of you, shows me a study saying that feeding salted peanuts is safe for birds, I will follow the "do no harm approach". The feed that I supply to my birds is conventional and has been used for many years by many people. It does no apparent harm so that is that I will continue to do.
As far as feeding things like fish and meat to birds, I want to ask why do so? I feed birds for their benefit and for my enjoyment. I don't need or want to experiment on them to see what I can get them to eat and risk introducing disease to into their lives. Clean food and water in clean feeders is what I think is best.
I don't think that I can convince either of you that my view is right but neither have you changed my view so I think that we must agree to disagree. :t:
 
Cornell U. Ornithology Lab is one the most highly respected sources in the world for bird info. If they include a statement like that in their guidelines then that is good enough for me.

i lol'd at you referencing yahoo answers though :-O

I have searched for studies on the subject but can't find any. I'm sure they are out there somewhere and it is my research skill that is what's lacking. Until someone, perhaps one of you, shows me a study saying that feeding salted peanuts is safe for birds, I will follow the "do no harm approach". The feed that I supply to my birds is conventional and has been used for many years by many people. It does no apparent harm so that is that I will continue to do.
As far as feeding things like fish and meat to birds, I want to ask why do so? I feed birds for their benefit and for my enjoyment. I don't need or want to experiment on them to see what I can get them to eat and risk introducing disease to into their lives. Clean food and water in clean feeders is what I think is best.
I don't think that I can convince either of you that my view is right but neither have you changed my view so I think that we must agree to disagree. :t:


I nourish the birds well, the main source of food they get is a multi seed and fruit nut mix that does them well. I clean my bird feeders regularly. Me feeding them fish/meat is to their benefit and for my enjoyment. It is perfectly okay to do this when you do it right. I am not experimenting on them, tell me once where I said that. I feed them different wholesome healthy scraps along with a balanced diet.

Just stop making false statements like saying it will only attract rats

oh and it wasnt just Jay's, wrens, chickadees, finches, woodpeckers, and blackbirds but I also seen some nuthatches eating some meat recently

Im not trying to change your view at all and you def havent changed mine
 
I have put some feeders in the yard to cater to my birds, but unfortunately, it also attracts some guests who should not come to my garden. Some animals eat bird seeds at night, like mice, rats, squirrels, or big ones like raccoons. Even though I built a barrier, it doesn't affect their taking away the feeder.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 2 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top